Govt steps up Foot and Mouth disease surveillance
THE Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) has intensified its surveillance along the South African border in a bid to curb the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) into the country.
DVS director Dr Josphat Nyika said the department had put in place monitoring teams and embarked on awareness campaigns in communities living along the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa following an outbreak of FMD in Limpopo Province in the neighbouring country two weeks ago.
“We have heightened our surveillance along the border and we are also doing awareness campaigns with the farming communities and the general public but very soon the South Africans will tell us how far they have gone in progressing and advancing control efforts,” he said.
Following the outbreak of FMD in Limpopo, Zimbabwe temporarily suspended importation of live, cloven-hoofed and related products from South Africa as part of its efforts to prevent the disease from spreading into the country.
“Once they (our South Africa counterparts) tell us the situation and where the disease is rampant and if they have contained it then exports can resume but currently we are saying imports can be considered on a case by case basis,” said Dr Nyika.
He, however, said the Department was faced with a challenge of carrying out monitoring and surveillance duties due to fuel shortages.
“We had given provinces (Masvingo and Matabeleland South) enough fuel to do surveillances but now that the fuel coupons have been rebased, we are now facing a challenge with regards to mobility and that’s a big problem to Vet unlike to medical doctors who are stationed at hospitals and patients come but as for us we have to travel and visit our ‘patients’ thus there’s a big challenge,” said Dr Nyika.
FMD is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of livestock with significant economic impact. The disease affects cattle and swine as well as sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. All species of deer and antelope as well as elephant, and giraffe are susceptible to FMD.
In a susceptible population, morbidity approaches 100 percent. Intensively reared animals are more susceptible to the disease than traditional breeds. The disease is rarely fatal in adult animals but there is often high mortality in young animals due to myocarditis or by lack of milk when the dam is infected by the disease.
FMD is characterised by fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves. The disease causes severe production losses and while most affected animals recover, the disease often leaves them debilitated.
The first case of FMD in the country was clinically detected on 16 August 2000 in a cattle feedlot in south-western Zimbabwe. Prior to the outbreak, the country was known as an exporter of meat especially to the European market. The spontaneous outbreaks over the years have adversely affected the meat industry.